Berlin Germany is one of the coolest and most exciting cities in Europe. What makes it cool? Everything. The vibe is much more like New York City than any other place in Europe.

This post is going to delve into the past a bit because the historical context is important to understand the city, but you can continue with current day Berlin and its attractions further down if you want to skip the background information.

I lived in West Berlin for two years in the early 1980’s, when The Berlin Wall surrounded the city, and have visited many times since. The Wall opened when Communism fell in East Germany in 1989. It was then torn down bit by bit over the next few years. I purchased a small chunk of the Wall which I still proudly display on my shelf.

The initial bricks of the Berlin Wall were put up overnight on August 13, 1961 (at the request of Khrushchev, the Soviet leader of the time) to stop the exodus of people fleeing the Communist world. The Wall surrounded West Berlin for twenty-eight years! There was no city quite like this: two opposing socio-political ideologies (Capitalism and Communism), each backed by opposing super powers (USA and Soviet Union) that manifested in a divided city facing-off with itself. Berlin was in two different countries and in two radically different worlds.

East Berliners were not permitted to visit the West or even peep over The Wall. Western Radio and TV signals were also not allowed and if your antenna pointed West, you were in trouble. There were no Western magazines, films, CDs or books, no quality products of any type, the food was bad, and there were shortages and wait lists for items we took for granted in the West. However, if you were among the two percent that belonged to the Communist Party elite, then you had access to Western goods and better food (real world Socialism did not follow its own “equality of the proletariat” creed).

The market economy did not exist therefore it did not cater to what people needed or wanted. There was no competition, therefore no marketing, no advertisements and no color. The economy was driven by planning committees that decided what people should have. Brown and black shoes in average sizes were always in short supply, but you could find white shoes in size 11 easily. There was a long wait list for items like stoves, refrigerators and TVs. The wait list for cars was 10-15 years and to get an apartment you could wait 25 years or more. Of course, if you had connections and offered bribes, it was a different story.

Although East German leader Erich Honecker did dabble in “socialist materialism” after 1971 (since he knew East German’s were still getting broadcasts from the West and could see that the lifestyle was vastly different), it did not work well because it is impossible to centrally plan fashion trends, or design a single product that will please all consumers.

Lack of consumer goods, no freedom of speech, no incentive for a good work ethic, and the widespread distrust caused by neighbors reporting on each other to the Stasi Police, created a culture very different from what was on the other side of The Wall. West Berlin was the wild Babylon and East Berlin was straight out of Orwell’s 1984.

Parts of the West Berlin subway ran under East Berlin and passed through “ghost stations” with armed guards, but the train was not allowed to stop until it reached the other side. It was so bizarre speeding past the pre-Wall stations and seeing these dark abandoned stops with only the armed guards glaring at you. And for them it must have been strange to see the daily trains of West Berliners, that looked so different, staring back at them.

It was like travelling back in time. East Germany refused to maintain the tunnels and tracks used by West Berlin trains so the ghost stations literally appeared as they did the day the Berlin Wall was built. Station walls still had ads and posters from 1961 and old newspapers blew around the dusty platforms. If a train on a West Berlin line broke down in East Berlin, the passengers had to wait for East German border police to appear and escort them out.

Barbed-wire fences and alarms were installed to prevent any would-be escapees from running into the track bed and through the tunnels to West Berlin. As for the entrances on the East side, the signage was removed, walkways were walled up, and stairways were sealed with concrete slabs, erasing the stations from the cityscape and maps entirely. This excellent video, filmed by Max Gold, shows the eerie Potsdamer Platz ghost station and the guards that worked there. It captures the frightening and utterly bizarre reality of that time.

When I used to take the train from Munich to Berlin, it would go through the East German border (the Iron Curtain) at the edge of Bavaria, and the stern East German guards would come onto the train with the nastiest attitude to ask for your passport. Then, several hours later, when the train rolled into the Berlin area, it was held for about an hour so that new guards could check your passport again and check every nook and cranny of the train (including opening parts of the ceiling, and checking underneath with dogs) to ensure that no East German managed to sneak on. Once the train was given the green light, it was permitted to inch its way through an opening in the Wall and into West Berlin.

People that have never experienced a totalitarian State can’t fully grasp just how scary it is/was and how lucky we are to live in a place where you can travel where you want, read and say what you want. I experienced a few situations in the Communist world that made me realize just how utterly powerless one is in a totalitarian State. You had zero “rights”.

East Berlin back then was very black and white, dull and dreary and quite scary. If you tried to escape across the Wall, you were shot. People tried to escape in various ways. They dug tunnels, they squeezed into a cavity in a car to get smuggled across by a Westerner, they latched themselves under a train that was crossing into the West, and came up with all kinds of creative methods to escape the totalitarian regime. The Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie has an excellent exhibit on this.

In stark contrast, West Berlin was vibrant, busy, full of life and color. People wanted to be there.

I will never forget the first time I saw West Berlin. Travelling from Poland, I entered Berlin from the East and went across The Wall by S-bahn. The transition was jarring. From the elevated rails of the S-bahn I could see the dull grey dilapidated city suddenly transform into bright lights and color. It was something to behold. Bright neon signs, the big glowing Mercedes logo and all the colorful shimmering symbols of a market economy starkly contrasted with the greyness of the Communist world and its planned economy. (I was born and raised in the West so I was familiar with the bright lights and sparkle of Capitalism, but it was my first time in Berlin, and I saw the East first so the contrast was striking.)

West Berlin was a showcase of the West (as was East Berlin for the glories of Communism). It was “an island of freedom” with a wealthy market economy and distinctly cosmopolitan character. It also had the largest population of any city in Germany during the Cold War era. West Berlin lured German draft dodgers (if you lived in Berlin you could skip the two year mandatory military service) and many Punks. Bowie and Iggy lived there in the late 1970’s and some of the New York Punks came over. I recall passing by a Peep show and seeing Jayne County as the headliner. The Berlin industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten with Blixa Bargeld used to hang out at Cafe Central and played shows around town. There was no closing time, bars were open 24/7. The evening started at midnight with the first clubs or bars, the main one at 3ish and then people headed out to their final bar at about 7 am.

West Berlin was controlled by USA, Britain and France (but politically aligned with West Germany) and had army bases belonging to the three conquering Powers, so there were also a lot of military folk living in Berlin. And it was spy central; right out of James Bond, although the spies were never flamboyant or obvious. Because of the military presence and because Berlin was surrounded by Soviet dominated East Germany, the assumption was that it would be the first city to get attacked (even nuked) should the Cold War turn hot. Perhaps this added to the “no future, live to the max now” attitude.

One of the things West Berliners liked to do was to go to one of the observation decks peppered all along The Wall on the West side (obviously not the East side or you would be shot), and taunt the East German guards who were positioned in “No Man’s Land”. It was fun. They photographed everyone that looked at them. And I photographed them back.

The new Berlin does not have a physical Wall, except in a few places as commemorative sculptures, but there is somewhat of a barrier between the two German cultures that evolved very differently over forty years and were merged together literally overnight. It is likely not evident to the causal tourist, but it is an underlying current that shapes life in Berlin.

However, the purpose of this blog is to show you how great the city is now. All of the above make Berlin what it is today, but I won’t dwell on it any further. Ok, maybe just one more thing… my favorite film Wings of Desire, by Wim Wenders, was made in Berlin and it has great footage of 1984 Berlin. Nick Cave is in it for those of you that are fans. And some of my friends appeared as extras. Peter Falk is quite memorable in his role as a former angel, as is Bruno Ganz (one of the greatest German actors).

Attractions

This map of Berlin shows the districts of West (left side of dotted line) and East Berlin (right side). Mitte, the center of the city, is in East Berlin. Most of the historic buildings are located here. The dotted line shows where The Wall was. Tiergarten, Schoneberg and Charlottenburg (and part of Kreuzberg) are the West Berlin downtown areas.

A good place to stay is in Mitte because it is close to most of the attractions and a lot of restaurants. You can easily get around Berlin with their extensive subway system (U-bahn), light rail (S-bahn) and double decker buses. Staying in West Berlin is probably cheaper and you can get a good feel of what it was like to live on the “island of freedom”. Either way, they are close enough to each other.

The Brandenburg Gate, of course, is a key tourist stop. It is located right on the dotted line where The Wall was between Mitte and Tiergarten. This was a main thoroughfare in pre-war Berlin linking the famous Unter den Linden Boulevard with Tiergarten park. During the Communist era the passage way was closed. No one walked through it for 28 years!

On the East side, when it was the Communist German Democratic Republic, you could not get remotely close to the gate, but on the West side you could go right up to the shorter Wall that was placed at the gate. Many political speeches were made here, including Ronald Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this Wall”.

And it is where people gathered when The Wall opened (to the shock of everyone) on November 9, 1989. Mr. Gorbachev did indeed help tear down The Wall.

The Reichstag Building, is the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany has a lot of interesting history. Located right by the Brandenburg Gate, the old architecture was renovated with modern twists. A highlight of the reconstruction is the glass dome which offers excellent views of the city from a rooftop terrace.

The Holocaust Memorial is next to the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag. Please do not take selfies or jump on the pieces; this is a memorial to the dead. Be respectful of where you are. The Jewish Museum is close to Checkpoint Charlie and walking distance from Brandenburg Gate area.

The DDR Museum (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or in English: GDR – German Democratic Republic) provides a unique visitor experience, making it one of Berlin’s most popular museums. It provides an immersive experience of everyday life in the former East Germany. The Museum encourages visitors to touch and interact with the exhibits. Sit in the infamously shoddy Trabant car and drive through the streets of a virtual Communist East Berlin, see the hidden microphones, watch Communist TV in an authentic East Berlin living room, spy on your neighbours and march in a virtual May Day parade. I can’t wait to visit this place! The museum is located near the Brandenburg Gate.

The Wall Museum in Kreuzberg right at the Koch Str U-bahn, showcases a history of the Wall and escape attempts. I have been there many times and still find it interesting.

Checkpoint Charlie, the famous Cold War border crossing, is on the same block as The Wall Museum. The border crossing was used for foreigners only. West Germans were not allowed to cross here (and of course, certainly not East Germans). Many East Germans, however, did try to escape through this gap in the Wall. It was the setting for many spy novels and films, including James Bond. John Le Carre’s The Spy that Came in from the Cold opens with a British agent being shot at the checkpoint. It was also used as the spot for prisoner exchanges.

Kennedy was here, and so was the famous stand off of Soviet and US tanks. The potential for World War III was only averted when President John F. Kennedy contacted Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and persuaded him to withdraw his tanks. It is now a popular photo op destination.

Potsdamer Platz, the former no mans land, is now a vibrant community and great place to walk around, dine and shop. For twenty eight years Berliners were not permitted to walk through this vast area. Luckily, it is lively again as it was in pre war days, although of course looks vastly different.

East Berlin Mitte district is where the main downtown area was located before the city was divided, and it was the center of Communist East Berlin. This is where most of the historic buildings are located; the grand pre-war Hotel Adlon on the magnificent Unter Den Linden Boulevard, The Berlin Cathedral, old Berlin, and a multitude of museums. Many of the old buildings were left to deteriorate under the Communists, but since reunification there has been extensive restoration.

The Berlin Cathedral, Berliner Dom, is the largest church in the city. It was painstakingly restored after unification to its former glory. The interior is splendid and very much worth visiting.

The Television Tower in East Berlin’s Alexanderplatz is the tallest building in Germany. It was built by the GDR because the country needed a high-performance transmitter station that could reach households throughout the entire country. Today it has a revolving restaurant with great views of the city and maintains several radio broadcasting stations.

The Pergamon, one of the Museum Island world famous attractions, is really three museums in one: the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Museum of Islamic Art.

Stasi Headquarters in East Berlin is an interesting visit. Since 1990, there have been different exhibitions, providing information about the State Security and how its activities affected the GDR population.

Also known as the Museum of the Gestapo, Topography of Terror occupies the buildings that were once the central offices and prison of the Secret State Police and the headquarters of Gestapo operations during WWII. The main exhibit focuses on the SS and police during Nazi rule, highlighting the terrible crimes that were committed and giving visitors a sense of the constant state of terror that was everyday life for Europeans under their control.

Links to a few more interesting museums:

• National Art Gallery
• Neues Museum 
• Bauhaus Museum of Design
• The Allied Museum 

The Nikolai Quarter in East Berlin was established around the year 1200 and is the very site of the city’s foundation. Discover what Berlin once was. It certainly looks old with its narrow cobblestone streets and medieval-style houses, but most of it has been re-built to look like the past. Nikolai Church, with its double spire, is the heart of the quarter. You can find one Berlin’s oldest crypts at the church. The foundations of the double tower date back to 1230.

The restored buildings overlook the River Spree, making it a picturesque spot for photography.

A nice little museum that we visited was Knoblauch House. It once belonged to the prominent Knoblauch family. The three-story baroque townhouse shows how the wealthier families lived in the 18th century. There is even a stuffed family cat and its toy!

West Berlin, The Kudamm

Just walk up and down the Kurfurstendamm and experience what it was like when this was the center of a divided Berlin. When I lived here, this is where I spent a lot of time. It is where the high end shopping is located, great European outdoor cafes, and a big elegant boulevard.

Stop by the bombed out remains of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, The Europa Center, and go the Kranzler cafe on the corner of Kurfustendam and Joachimstaller Str, the main intersection of downtown West Berlin, and pop by Bahnhof Zoo.

Ka De We (Kaufhaus Des Westens) on Kurfursten Str. by Wittenburg subway, is a high-end department store in West Berlin. Not to be missed is the 5th floor gourmet food hall. They have all kinds of fine dinning quality appetizers and meals, pastries, champagne, wine and beer. It is huge! It spans the entire floor and the food is truly delightful. You can eat there or take it to go. I lived right around the corner so I spent a lot of time here.

Charlottenburg Palace located in West Berlin, is Berlin’s oldest and largest Prussian estate, the late 17th-century Charlottenburg Palace was for decades the primary residence of German royalty.

SMB Museum:  Across from the palace is a gallery with more than 100 works by Picasso.

Tiergarden (Animal Garden) originally a royal hunting reserve in which deer, wild pigs, and other game were kept, it was transformed into a public park in 1700. It is in the West Berlin city center and borders such major sights as the Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz. The forested grounds are nearly 519 acres, slightly more than Hyde Park, but less than Central Park (820 acres). It is an integral part of Berlin life and a very nice place to stroll through. The trees are lush and it does feel like a forest.

The Berlin Zoo (Zoologischer Garten) located in Tiergarten, is the oldest zoo in Germany and remains one of Berlin’s most popular attractions. Established in 1844 and completely rebuilt after WWII, the zoo has earned a reputation for its many successful breeding programs and is known for providing authentic habitats for the animals. The zoo is home to nearly 20,000 animals, and home to Europe’s biggest aviary, as well as Aquarium Berlin.

Berlin’s Victory Column is another of Berlin’s monuments that has reinvented itself through the ages – from symbol of Prussian military victory in the 19th century to a favourite tourist spot today. As US Presidential candidate, Barack Obama chose this as the alternative spot to the Brandenburg Gate for his speech to 200,000 Berliners in 2008.

Bars with Live Music

There are plenty of Techno dance clubs in Berlin, but my focus is on bars with quality live music. Here are a few:

• The Hat Bar with live Jazz music.
• The Zig Zag Jazz club has comfortable sofas and Jazz that can appeal to all listeners.
• The Quasimodo is an established jazz club in Berlin-Charlottenburg.
• Piano bar Van Gogh at Savignyplatz spans all styles, from Jazz to Blues.
• Yorck Schlosschen is a Berlin institution. Home of Jazz and Blues.
• Hangar 49 is one of the best places to jam, drink and listen to live music. Most patrons are musicians.
• Halford Berlin is a heavy rock venue inspired by Judas Priest.
• Monterey Bar has rock n’ roll and craft beer. My kind of place!
• Schokoladen has punk music in an old squat in East Berlin. Great for old school punks.
• Clash Berlin is a punk bar in Kreuzberg.
• Wild at Heart is another punk bar in Kreuzberg.
• Franken Bar also in Kreuzberg has cheap beer and rock music.
• Barton Fink Film bar looks interesting. Film and live music.
• The Misfit bar has old school rock and some punk. Cheap drinks but not great beer.
• Trinkteuful is another bar in Kreuzberg with rock and punk.
• Madam Claude also in Kreuzberg is an alt rock hang out. It is unique in that it has furniture glued to the ceiling so it looks like you are upside down. Great photo op.

Where to Eat?

• Bandol Sur Mer – 1 Michelin star
• Bieberbau – 1 Michelin star
• BRLO Brwhouse – craft beer and tasty food
• Cookies and Cream – in a lane way where you buzz to get in, a Victorian bar and Vegetarian Michelin star restaurant. Not your typical Vegetarian restaurant!
• Crackers Berlin – farm to table organic food
• Einsunternull – 1 Michelin star
• Ernst – Farm to table fine dining with Canadian Chef Dylan Watson-Brawn in a 12 seat restaurant in residential Wedding.
• FACIL – 2 Michelins stars
• Fischers Fritz – 2 Michelin stars
• Good Bank – farm to table organic food
• Grosherz – Big Heart cafe in Prenzlauer Berg with affordable fine food
• Horvath – Berlin’s most renowned Austrian restaurant. Two Michelin stars, vegetable focused and modern.
• Hugos – 1 Michelin star
• Katz Orange – farm to table organic food
• Katerschmaus – modern vegetable focused cuisine
• Layla Berlin – International chef Meir Adoni serves up Middle Eastern food
• Lokal Berlin – farm to table organic food
• Lorenz Adlon – 2 Michelin stars
• Mrs. Robinson – small plate foodie restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg
• Munchs Hus – Norwegen fine cuisine
• Nobelhart & Schmutzig – 1 Michelin star
• Pauly Saal – 1 Michelin star
• Prism Restaurant – fine dinning Israeli German fusion
• Reinstoff – 2 Michelin stars
• Richard – 1 Michelin star
• Rutz Restaurant  – 2 Michelin stars
• Tim Raue – 2 Michelins starts and on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list
• Zur Gerichtslaube is one of Berlin’s oldest restaurants with great rustic food.

Where to Stay?

• Historic Hotel Adlon five star luxury with a neo classical pool right on Under De Linden near the Brandenburg Gate.
• Rocco Forte Hotel d’ Rome we stayed here and loved it. In Mitte, this was a former bank in East Germany. The pool is amazing! And it has a great roof top deck. Book in advance to get a good deal.
• Titanic Gendarmenmarkt Berlin is a four star hotel with large rooms and a great pool, also in the Mitte district.
• Gorki Apartments in Mitte district has elegantly furnished apartments. It won the Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice award. Not cheap, but very nice.
• Lux 11 Berlin Mitte is a nice boutique hotel close to central city attractions. Good value.
• Orania Berlin is a great place to stay in Kreuzberg for those that plan to party in bars nearby. Nice hotel with only 41 rooms, a restaurant and live music lounge.
• Crown Plaza Potsdamer Platz is a boutique hotel close to everything.
• Hotel nHow is in East Berlin in a new trendy area called Friedrichshain close to Kreuzberg. This is a rock n’ roll place and you can even borrow an electric guitar to play!   The rooms are ultra modern and quite spectacular! I’d like to stay here next time.
• Sir Savigny Hotel in downtown West Berlin Charlottenburg is close to Kudamm and has custom furniture in unique elegant rooms.
• Hotel Bikini Berlin overlooks downtown West Berlin, Kaiser Wilhelm Church, the Zoo and Tiergarten. Great location, beautiful hotel with floor to ceiling windows.
• Hotel Zoo Berlin dates back to the early 20th century and was a popular residence for many famous film stars and cultural icons.

Enjoy your visit to Berlin!